Dance: Pilobolus at the Joyce
Matt Kent must be the happiest choreographer in the world. He invariably manages to get the sexiest and most talented dancers on earth to join his world-renowned dance company, Pilobolus. It’s a situation most artistic directors can only dream about.
Fortunately, “dream” is the overarching theme for Pilobolus’ summer 2024 show now at the Joyce.
“Threshold” is set in the 1930s and takes places in what appears to be either Tenth Avenue, New York or a seedy Los Angeles neighborhood. A woman is literally tossed back and forth between a gang of evil-looking male characters in a nightmarish scenario, all of which is performed to “Casta Diva,” from Bellini’s “Norma.”
The dream motif shifts into erotic fantasy in “Bloodlines,” as Marlon Felix and Hannah Koinkman dance a girl-on-girl pas de deux that must have raised the temperature several Kelvins in the near-freezing auditorium. Next. “Gnomes” featured four Adonises, each of whom seemed to be suffering from a midlife crisis, lifting and somersaulting over each other in Pilobolus fashion. Purely therapeutic, of course.
The second half of the evening began with “Symbiosis,” a lovely and tender pas de deux performed by Ms. Felix and Quincy Ellis to the sounds of the Kronos Quartet. It was followed by “Rushes”, a Pilobolus favorite featuring a tribe of hobos, a chorus line of chairs and jaunty circus music. Caution: the finale when the two elderly hobos embrace may just get the tear ducts flowing.
Watching Pilobolus, you are amazed at how intimate and comfortable these dancers must be with their own bodies and those of their fellow dancers. Fifty-three years young, they continue to delight, inspire and titillate. Now through August 11.
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